Bob Stoops planned to sleep well Saturday night. He always has the night before coaching a football game. No reason for that to change now.

Nerves? Stoops never copped to being nervous and never showed it, either, in his 18 years as the University of Oklahoma football coach. If OU-Texas didn’t make you nervous, why should Dallas Renegades-St. Louis Battlehawks?

The XFL, the latest spring football enterprise, kicked off this weekend, and Stoops’ Renegades host St. Louis at 4 p.m. Sunday in Arlington, Texas, playing at Globe Life Park, which until October was the Texas Rangers’ palatial baseball home but now is a refurbished football stadium.

And Stoops is excited. He walked away from football almost 32 months ago but has walked back in, with the less-demanding spring league that is a curiosity even to its participants.

“Not nerve-wracking,” Stoops said of his feelings as the latest chapter in his life begins. “Exciting, more than anything.”

Stoops loves football. Back in the day, he would occasionally joke about coaching middle school after he retired from OU, and after he retired, Stoops still mentioned coaching middle school, only he wasn’t joking.

The XFL isn’t middle school — it’s a far cry from Bedlam or the Sugar Bowl — but the F in XFL stands for football. And football is in Stoops’ blood.

“It is exciting for me to be back on the sideline, after a few years being away from it,” Stoops said. “I think more than anything, my love for football won out. This is a perfect opportunity to be out here, be involved in some football. I believe it’s going to be a great league to watch and to be a part of. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Stoops admitted to restlessness in the three Sooner seasons since he last coached. Stoops stayed connected to the OU program; Lincoln Riley has welcomed Stoops at any time, and Stoops’ son, Drake, is an OU wide receiver. But he often mentioned that he thought something still was on his horizon. The XFL is that first something.

“I’m the one who’s been living it, not being on the sideline for three seasons now,” Stoops said. “Looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.

“I think it’ll be like riding a bike. I’ve coached a lot of football games through the years, so I haven’t forgotten what the feeling’s like and what to expect.”

Hal Mumme, whose Kentucky offenses went against Stoops’ Florida defenses in the 1990s, now is the Renegades’ offensive coordinator and says he’s enjoying working with his former combatant.

“Bob’s great with the players,” Mumme said. “He’s a great players’ coach. He’s always worried about taking care of them. He does a great job with the staff, keeping us organized.

“I’m excited for Bob. And I was really excited that he let me be a part of it. You never get tired of this. If you get tired of game days, you need to get out of the game.”

Excited and curious. This XFL is a blank slate. No history. No tendencies. No game tape. The Renegades practiced with the Battlehawks a few weeks ago, and the Renegade scouts have given reports on opposing individual talent. But Stoops and his staff will be working on the fly Sunday.

“There’s a little bit of unknown,” Stoops said. “You don’t know how good the other teams are. We don’t have a bunch of schemes to analyze ahead of time, what they’re going to do. But these guys have all played a lot of football, coaches have been around a lot. So you just adjust as you go.

“I’ve done it so long. I haven’t forgotten in a few years how it works. Anxious for it, looking forward to it, doesn’t seem all that unfamiliar. Still out there to win and play good football. That part of it hasn’t changed.”

Other things have changed. The pressure to win. The midnight phone calls. The $5 million salary. The 24/7/365 aspects of the job.

That’s not the XFL. The X in XFL has no meaning (other than anything but the NFL, according to the original XFL’s definition two decades ago). But the F in XFL stands for football.

And football, Stoops knows.

(Story continued below...)

“It’s time to go play,” Stoops said. “So yeah, I can’t wait. Just being out there, being a part of it. Being a part of something that’s new, fresh, different, but still good solid football. So I’m enjoying it, loving it. Love football, so it’s good to be out here.”

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at 405-760-8080 or at btramel@oklahoman.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.

Former University of Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops has moved on to the next challenge in his life. He's now coaching the XFL's Dallas Renegades, which open their season on Sunday vs. the St. Louis Battlehawks. [Courtesy Dallas Morning News] Former OU football coach Bob Stoops said he's excited to get started with his new team, the XFL's Dallas Renegades. [Photo provided] Dallas Renegades coach Bob Stoops, wearing visor, and Seattle Dragons coach Jim Zorn address their teams after a recent two-way practice. [Photo provided] Dallas Renegades head coach Bob Stoops speaks during a press conference at the Hilton in Arlington in October 2019. [Courtesy Dallas Morning News] Dallas Renegades coach Bob Stoops answers questions from reporters before a practice in January. [Courtesy Dallas Morning News]

Berry Tramel

Berry Tramel, a lifelong Oklahoman, sports fan and newspaper reader, joined The Oklahoman in 1991 and has served as beat writer, assistant sports editor, sports editor and columnist. Tramel grew up reading four daily newspapers — The Oklahoman,...
Read more ›